An Extraordinary Ride-Out

It was summer last year when my buddy Klaus and myself pondered about our next big trip. I had just come back from Southern France – and the extent of purple, strong-smelling lavender still stucked to my mind. “Why not going there on two wheels?” Perfect scenery, great weather, stunning roads, the Mediterranean and some Alps within reach…

My proposal was reasonable. Our choice of weapons was not: Both vintage Moto Guzzi V7s we planned with were out of order when the deadline approached. So we were lost with only one matching pair of bikes – two impressive Ducati legends: Klaus´ 1983 Mike Hailwood Replica, and my 1995 Ducati 916. Of course, neither of them had long-distance touring in mind, to say the least. Loud pipes, die-hard race geometry and bitchy engines stood for nothing but raw Superbike glory (the MHR only had a kick starter). We did not know what we were doing. But we were doing it with confidence.

I don´t want to spoil the story here. But these snapshots might give you a feeling of how intense this road-trip with very special motorcycles has been. Roughly speaking: The best stories start with the worst ideas.